System of vehicle suspension.



G. W. LARSON. SYSTEM OF VEHICLE SUSPENSION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1907.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFFroE.

CARL W. LARSON, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COM- PANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW'YORK.

SYSTEMOF VEHICLE snsrnnsrom No. oo7,s22.

Specification ofLe'tters Patent.

mamas. 29,1908- Application flled Aug11st 24, 1997. Serial No. 390,026.

" Suspension, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates tovehicles and dparticularly to locomotives, railway cars an the like, and the means whereby the weight of such vehicles is applied to the axles of the supporting wheels.

The ob ect of my invention is to provide means between the frame of the vehicle and the wheel axles whereby the weight of the frame and the parts carried thereby will be evenly distributed on the axles, while the latter are at the same'time allowed to move relatively to the frame when the wheels strike uneven places in the track.

My invention has for its special object to provide a system of levers between the frame and the journal-boxes of the axles which will be in stable equilibrium only when the wheels are resting on the same plane, said lever system being unbalanced and having a tendency to return the frame to its normal position with reference to the axles when the wheels are not in the same plane. In other words, by my invention I provide a system of suspension for vehicles such that when the frame is disturbed, b unevenness in the track, from its norma position with reference to the axles, there will be a tendency for it to return to its normal position.

My invention will be understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which the preferred embodiment is set forth.

Vl hile I have shown my invention as applied to a three-axle mining locomotive, it is evident that it is in no way limited thereto,

but may be applied to a locomotive of any number of axles or to a car truck, or in fact to any vehicle.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mining locomotive with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, the frame being shown in section and certain arts broken awayfor the sake of clearness; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional elevation through part of the frame around a journal-boxshowsimilar to Fig. 3

ing part of the lever and link connections with the support fulcrums' Fig. 4 is a view ut with the ournal -box lowered from its normal position in the frame; Fi 5 is a perspective view of the fulcrum bloc used with each journal-box; and Fig. 6 illustrates a modified form of fulcrum block and co-acting lever.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, the frame of the locomotive is indicated at 7, the trolley, brake-handle, controller, etc., being shown in outline, In the locomotive illustrated there are three axles, 8, 9 and 10, upon which are wheels 11, 12 and 13, motors 14, 15 and 16 being arranged to drive these. axles and being supported from the axles and from the frame in any suitable and well known manner which need not be described in detail, as it forms no part of my invention. The axles 8, 9 and 10 are mounted respectively, in 'ournal-boxes 17, 18 and 19 arranged for sli ing movement in grooves 20 in the frame 7. Above each ournal box, 17, 18 and 19, is a coiled s ring 21 which so ports a fulcrum block 22 of the form clear y shown in Fig. 5, this block being arran ed to slide in the grooves 20. The frame-i0? the locomotive is carried on these blocks 22 and therefore, through springs 21, by the axles 8, 9 and 10, by means of a connecting system of lovers and links arranged as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This lever system comprises levers 25, one above each axle, resting upon two ins 26,

assing throu h ears 27 on each b ock 22,

etween whic ears the levers 25 pass. Notches 28 in the bottom of levers 25, best shown in Fig. 4,. engage with the pins 26 and prevent displacement of the lovers. Other levers 29 pivoted at 30 in the frame are connected to'the levers 25' b the links 31, as shown in Fig. 1. Other inks 32 at each endof the suspension system connect the links 25 at those points with the frame. The whole lever system is located in recesses in the frame as shown.

With-this system of "suspension it is evident that when the axles are in their normal position with relation to the frame, or as shown in Fig. 1, the levers balance one another and the system will be in equilibrium. If, however, through unevenness of the track, the axle 8, for example, takes a -end' of its cooperating lever '29 which in spectively, in the other figures.

osition in the frame lower than normal, the ever 25 above that axle will take the position shown in Fig. 4. In this figure the lever 25 is shown as lowered at its right end and, therefore, fulcrumed on the right hand pin 26. 'lhis, of course, will cause the link 31, connected to said lever 25, to force down the turn acts through the link 31 at its other end to raise the left end of the link 25 above the axle 9, to a position similar to that occupied by the lever 25 above the axle 8, this movement being transmitted on through the other levers and links. In this displaced position of the levers 25, it is obvious that the whole system will be unbalanced, since the fulcrum of each lever 25 is shifted to the right of its central point. '1 his will be clear when it is considered that although the downward pulls on the ends of the levers 25 are constant, yet when in the displaced position just described, they will on the left ends of said levers be acting at a greater radius, and at the right ends at a less radius than formerly. hen, therefore, the axles are displaced from their normal position there is a strong tendency, due to the unbalanced condition of the suspension system, for them to return to their normal location with reference to the frame. As soon, therefore, as the wheels are again resting on the same plane the frame will be returned to its nor- I mal position with reference to the axles.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified form of fulcrum block 22 and a co-acting lever 25*, corresponding to the parts 22 and 25, re- In this construction instead of using two pins 26, the bottom of the block 22 between the ears 27, is made curved or crown shaped and is covered with teeth 35 which engage with teeth 36 in the bottom of the lever 25. This prevents displacement between the lever and the fulcrum block. It is obvious that the lever 25 'will rock upon the curved surface of the block 22 thereby shifting the fulcrum to one side or the other of its middle point, exactly as the levers 25 rock on the pins 26 in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5.

While have shown certain forms in which my invention may be embodied, I wish it understoood that I do not intend to limit myself to these but in the following claims aim to cover suchmodifications as will occur to one skilled in this art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States, is,

1. In a vehicle, a plurality of axles having wheels thereon, journal-boxes for said axles, a frame in which said journal-boxes are arran 'ed to slide, and connections between said journal-boxes and said frame compris-. ingasystem of levers balanced only when the wheels are all resting on the same plane.

2. In a vehicle, a plurality of axles having wheels thereon, journal-boxes for said axles, a frame in which said journal-boxes are arranged to slide, and connections between said journal-boxes and said frame eompris ing a system of levers which tends to restore the axles and frame to normal position with reference to one another when they have been moved out of such normal position.

3. In a vehicle, a plurality of axles having wheels thereon, journal-boxes for said axles, a frame in which said journal-boxes are arranged to slide, and connections between said journal-boxes and said frame comprisinglevers having a plurality of fulcrums about which they oscillate as the position of an axle relative to the frame changes.

4. In a vehicle, a plurality oi axles having wheels thereon, journal-boxes for said axles, a frame in which said journal-boxes are arranged to slide, and connections between said journal-boxes and said frame comprising levers, each fulcrumed at a plurality of points and'supportcd by a journal-box, and links and levers for connecting the ends of said first-mentioned levers to the frame and to one another.

5. In a vehicle, a plurality of axles having wheels thereon, journal-boxes for said axles, a frame in which said journal-boxes are arranged to slide, and connections between said journal-boxes and said frame comprising a fulcrum block supported by each journal-box, a lever supported by each fulcrum block and fulcrumed thereon at a plurality of points, and links and levers for connecting the ends of said first-mentioned levers to the frame and to one another.

6. In a vehicle, a plurality of axles having wheels thereon, journal-boxes for said axles, a frame in which said journal-boxes are arranged to slide, a fulcrum block supported -by each journalbox, a lever mounted upon each fucrum block and arranged to rock thereon about different points as fulcrums, a lever pivoted on said frame between each pair of journal boxes, links for connectin the adjacent ends of said first-mentioned and last-mentioned levers, and links for connecting the outside ends of the foremost and rearmost of said first-mentioned levers to the frame.

7. In a vehicle, a plurality of axles having wheels thereon, journahboxes for said axles, aframe in which said journal-boxes are arranged to slide, a sliding block arranged above each journal-box and a sprin for supporting it thereon, a lever supported on each of said blocks and arranged to rock on a plurality of fulcrums, levers pivoteld on said frame between each pair of axles, links for connecting the adjacent ends of said firstmentioned and last-mentioned levers, and links for connecting the outside ends of the foremost and rearmost lovers to said frame.

8. In a vehicle, a plurality of axles having Wheels thereon, journal-boxes for saidaxles, mentioned levers to the frame and to one '9 a frame in which said journal-boxes are aranother. 10 ranged to slide, blocks also slidable in said In witness whereof, I have hereunto set frame, springs for supporting said blocks on my hand this 22nd day of.August, 1907.

5 said journal-boxes, alever supported on each CARL W. LARSON.

ofsaid blocks at a plurality of oints and ar- Witnesses: ranged to rock thereabout, an links and lel HELEN ORFORD, vers for connecting the ends of said first- HEWLETT SCUDDER, Jr. 

